Salesman&#39;s sample case with outside gusseted pocket



SALESMAN'S SAMPLE CASE WITH OUTSIDE GUSSETED POCKET June 3, 1958 G. G. GUENTHER' Filed May 2o, '1957- I VII .v

sALEsMANs SAMPLE CASE WITH OUTSIDE GUssETED POCKET George G. Guenther, North Bergen, N. J.

Application May 20, 1957, Serial No. 660,461

1 Claim. (Cl. 1911-51) This invention relates to V'salesmens sample cases and, more particularly, to new and useful improvements in a salesmans portable sample case having an outside gusseted pocket. Y

Salesmanssample cases of the hand-carrying type are frequently rectangular in configuration and cross section with `stiff leather wall structures and stiff overlapping leather flaps and of considerable depth and width to afford ruggedness and to accommodate a number of samples of various shapes of merchandise. Pockets are usually formed on the inner surfaces of the side walls to accommodate thin samples, papers and the like. The

cases usually open upwardly and are closed by means of overlapping flaps provided with locking means to protect the contents of the case. Considerable time and labor are lost in opening such cases to get access to the samples or to the contents of the pockets inside.

lt is an important object of the present invention to eliminate these diiliculties by providing a salesmans sarnple case with a readily accessible pocket on the outside of the case.

Another object of the invention is to provide a salesmans sample case having a pocket on the outside with means to permit expansion thereof.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a salesmans sample case with an expansible pocket on the outside adapted to be opened and closed by a slide fastener.

It is further proposed, in accordance with one form of the invention, to provide a salesmans sample case with an outside pocket having means for separating the contents thereof to facilitate recognition and withdrawal thereof.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth. ln the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a salesmans sample case embodying one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof, with the top open.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 3the outside pocket being shown open in dot-dash lines.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the outside pocket, the pocket being shown in open position.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 4 showing a modification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, a salesmans sarnple case is shown in Fig. 1 and designated generally 15. This sample case is preferably formed of stiff leather but may be formed of plastic or any other suitable material. lIt is rectangular in configuration and cross section, cony 2,837,185 Patented June 3, 1958 FICE@ ,Y

sistng of side walls 16 and 17, end walls 18, 18, a two-l ply bottom wall 19 and is open at the top. The bottom edges of the side walls 16 and 17,-respectively, are bent around the long edges of the bottom wall 19 as indicated at 21 and 22, respectively, and are secured thereto by lines of stitching 23. Metal buttons 24 are secured to the bent over edges to support the bottom wall 19 away from the supporting surface.

The open top is adapted to be closed by elongated side flaps 26 and 27 formed integrally with the side walls 16 l and 17, respectively, hinged along the lines 28, and by end aps 29, 29 hinged along lines 30. Side ap 27 is afford clearance for a leather handle 32 hinged to pivot l pins 33 supported between upright posts 34 on spaced plates 3S fastened to the top surface of the flap 27. The bottom corners of the kside walls may be reinforced by arcuate-shaped strips 36 of leather. The case may be locked in closed position by means of locking-mechanism including a hinged latch 37 carried by the ilap 26 and coacting keeper devices 38 secured to flap 27. p

ln accordance with the present invention, a pocket or compartment 40 is formed behind the side wall 16. This is accomplished by providing an inner side wall section 41 of stiff leather of substantially the same dimensions as the Wall 16 and secured along the peripheries of its top and end edges to the side wall 16 and end walls 1S by stitching 42 and along the periphery of its bottom edge to the botto-m wall 19 by the stitching 23. The re mainder of the wall section 41 is unattached thereby providing pocket or compartment 40 between` the side wall 16 and the inner side wall section 41.

The side wall 16 is formed with a horizontal slit 46 along the top edge thereof which slit continues downward at one end thereof, the right-hand end as viewed in Fig. 1, providing a communicating vertical slit 47,- which terminates remote from the bottom wall 19. Tapes 48 are fastened along the edge walls of the horizontal slit 46 by stitching 49 for supporting teeth 50 of a slide fastener assembly. A slider 51 moves the teeth into open and closed position.

An expansible gusset 52 is interposed between the edge walls of the vertical slit 47 and is secured to the edge walls by lines of stitching 53.for closing the vertical slit thereby leaving only the horizontal slit 46 openable.

A wall section 54 is preferably secured to the inner surface of the side wall 17 by means of gussets 55 interposed between the ends thereof and the side wall 17 and secured to the wall section 54 by stitching 56 and to the side wall 17 and end walls 18 by stitching 57. A narrow compartment or pocket 58, open top and bottom, is thus provided for confining papers and the like. A similar compartment or pocket 59 is preferably provided on the opposite side of the case by means of a wall section 60 secured to the inner side wall section 41, front wall 16 and end walls 18 by end gussets 61 fastened to the side wall section 60 by stitching 62 and to the Side wall, inner side wall section and end walls by stitching 63.

When the sample case is fully closed it is in the condition illustrated in Fig. 1 with the handle 32 protruding outwardly through the slot 31. Access may be had to the pocket or compartment 40 by merely sliding the zipper slider 51 and separating the slitted portion of wall 16 from the inner wall section 41, the gusset construction 52 facilitating this separation.

The modified form of sample case shown in Fig. 6

differs from the form of Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, in that an elongated leather strip 65 is secured between one end of the side wall 16 and the adjacent end 'of the inner Wall section 41 and extends laterally a short distance into the pocket or compartment 461. The strip extends substantially the height of the side wall 16' behind the portion thereof between the slit 47 and the adjacent end of the Wall and indicated at 16a, and is secured by the stitching 53'. This strip divides the pocket 40 into an inner space'dtla on the inner side of the strip and an outer space 4411 on the outer side of the strip whereby the ends of led papers or the like may be inserted in order to separate said papers or the like so that they may be easily identified and withdrawn.

In all other respects, the form of invention shown in Fig. 6 is similar to the form of Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, and similar reference numerals are used to indicate similar parts.

Whilel have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that l do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within thefscope of the invention as dened in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1s:

A salesmans sample case comprising a hollow casing rectangular in configuration and cross section having stiff side, end and bottom Walls and an operable top,

, v a handle on the top, an inner wall section secured along three sides of one of said side walls and along the bottom wall, the remainder of said inner wall section being Unattached, and with said one side wall forming a pocket therebetween, said one side wall having a horizontally disposed slit along and adjacent its top edge and having a vertically disposed slit communicating with said horizontally disposed slit at one end thereof, means for expansibly connecting the edge Walls of said vertical slit,

slidable means for connecting and disconnecting the edge walls of the horizontal slit, and an elongated exible rectangular strip interposed and secured between one end of said one side Wall and the adjacent end of the inner side Wall section, said strip extending the height of said one side wall and extending laterally into the pocket for a short distance 'thereby dividing the pocket into several spaces for separating papers and the like,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 966,352 Pemberton Aug. 2, 1910 1,316,335 Schoenborn Sept. 16, 1919 1,512,549 Labadie et al. Oct. 21, 1924 2,258,582 Berg Oct. 14, 1941 2,319,127 Guenther et al. May 11, 1943 2,617,463 Zaccardo Nov. 1l, 1952 

